India’s Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni shake palms with Pakistan’s Muzammil Murtaza and Aqeel Khan on the finish of their doubles match within the Davis Cup World Group I play-off tennis, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
India’s journey to Pakistan earlier this month for the Davis Cup World Group I playoff was memorable in additional methods than one. It was the primary time in over six many years that the Indian tennis group had crossed the Wagah border. And at a time when bilateral cricket — essentially the most marquee of sports activities performed between the neighbours — is in deep freeze, it felt liberating.
“We’re all good pals on the circuit and I’ve performed [doubles] with Aisam [Ul-Haq Qureshi],” stated Sriram Balaji, who performed the second singles for India in Islamabad, on the sidelines of the dafaNews Bengaluru Open. “We don’t need politics or something concerned right here. We’re tennis gamers, and we [India and Pakistan] communicate comparable languages. They’re additionally good folks.”
Qureshi, who misplaced the opening singles to Ramkumar Ramanathan, is in reality a recurrent identify in Indian tennis circles. Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna have been well-known because the ‘Indo-Pak Specific’ and even sported the slogan ‘Cease Battle, Begin Tennis’ on their T-shirts. The duo reached the 2010 US Open doubles closing and in addition made the grade for the 2011 ATP Tour Finals.
India’s Ramkumar Ramanathan greets Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi after profitable the singles tennis match of the Davis Cup World Group-1 play-off between Pakistan and India, in Islamabad on February 3, 2024.
| Photograph Credit score:
AFP
And in late 2019, it was Qureshi who introduced Ramkumar and Purav Raja collectively, hoping that their “complementary types” might click on collectively. The partnership instantly bore fruit as Ramkumar and Purav gained three Challengers on the bounce and in addition made the semifinals on the ATP 250 in Pune (2020), setting the muse for Ramkumar’s now blossoming doubles profession.
“Aisam in reality provided to take us all out to see locations,” stated Sunil Yajaman, joint-secretary of the Karnataka State Garden Tennis Affiliation and the supervisor on the tour to Pakistan. “That was very nice. However the safety was strict, and we needed to observe protocol.
“It was a distinct expertise. They took care of us very effectively. Many individuals have been excited to have us, to set an instance for different sports activities like cricket and hockey to go there to play,” Yajaman added.
For Niki Poonacha, making his Cup debut for India was the spotlight, whereas for Saketh Myneni it was about having the Pakistan stamp in his passport.
“Having that on my passport is one thing I’ll cherish. Doesn’t occur to too many people, does it?” It is going to, if one doesn’t have to attend for an additional six many years for cross-border camaraderie.
